Persistence
by Lucy Labrador
Summary: Sonic is determined to talk to Shadow after a terrible nightmare he's had. No matter what stops him, he will be persistent in getting Shadow to think differently. Sonic's life could depend on it.
1. Chapter 1

**Persistence**

**Chapter 1**

Burning, searing pain, the tormented hedgehog looked up with a blurry eye sight. Through the blurs he could see make out a figure, a person, it was Shadow The Hedgehog who was looking down on him with cruel eyes and a sadistic smirk. "Shadow… Shadow please." Sonic choked in pain.

Shadow just widened his evil smirk, grinning even more as Sonic's eyesight became completely blank and he blacked out. Sonic could no longer feel anything, what he felt wasn't like a simple unconsciousness, nothing like he had felt before. It felt a lot worse, a lot more empty.

"Am I… dead?" Sonic's voice echoed through his own mind. "Did Shadow just… kill me?" he struggled to say, his emotions holding him back from speaking. There was no reply, only the distant echoes. "He couldn't have killed me… I can't be dead." he said desperately and anxiously.

The suffocating darkness started to fade and brighten to white until his sight was returned. Now he could see his dirty white bedroom ceiling. He looked around the room groggily, seeing the dim sunlight creeping through the closed curtains. He removed the bed covers from the top of his body and got out of bed. The dazed hedgehog gave his head a few quick shakes to wake himself up more. It felt as though his heart was beating everywhere in his body, his head felt light and dizzy.

"Man… what a dream." Sonic said to himself shakily. "I've not even seen Shadow since the Black Arms invasion, I don't even know if he's alive or not." he added. The shaken and shocked hedgehog walked across the hallway and into the bathroom, turned on the cold water tap, cupped his hands together, filled his hands with water and splashed it onto his face. The freezing cold water splashed onto his face and collided with his red hot cheeks, cooling down his skin and shocking himself fully awake. It took the sleep out of his eyes and the sweat off of his skin, making himself feel a lot fresher.

Once Sonic was washed and dressed he made his way into Tail's workshop which was in the garage next to Sonic's house. Tails saw Sonic as the blue hedgehog walked inside, taking his eyes off of his work, Tails watched as Sonic walked in slowly and silently. The hedgehog looked very out of concentration, looking around the rook cautiously. Tails founds this very strange, Sonic would usually waltz into the room cheerfully and say good morning but today he was a lot quieter. "What's the matter?" Tails asked.

Sonic was shaken out of his trance. "Oh! Uh, nothing." Sonic said and smiled. "Good morning Tails."

"I know there's something wrong." Tails said wisely.

"Yeah…" Sonic sighed and walked over to the work table Tails was at. He leant against it and looked around the room idly, leaving them both in an awkward silence.

"So?" Tails said, "Want to tell me about it?"

"Oh… might as well." Sonic groaned, not really wanting to think about the nightmare. "Tails… do you think that Shadow is alive?" Sonic asked quietly and reluctantly.

"Well, we haven't seen him for months now. He may have died in his fight with Black Doom." Tails said, not really knowing the answer. "Why? Have you been thinking about him?"

"Yeah… I had this dream about him." Sonic said hesitantly, looking to the floor.

"What happened in the dream?" Tails said, noticing Sonic's discomfort in talking about it.

"He was…" Sonic started and gulped, "Torturing me." there was a look of true fear in his face. Tails was silent, he didn't know what to say. "I think the dream might have been some kind of warning." Sonic shivered.

"It could be… but maybe it only means that Shadow is returning and that he isn't going to t- hurt you." Tails said, refraining himself from using the word 'torture', it made him uncomfortable saying it. Sonic took a deep breath,

"I hope to Chaos that you're right." he said shakily.

Later on that day, Sonic went for a walk and a run through station square. He was in the centre where all of the shops and sky scrapers were. He looked through all of the shop windows at the various things he could have bought for himself if he had the money.

Then, about a dozen meters away, across the road, amongst the group of busy humans that were on their way to various locations, Sonic saw a little black hedgehog crossing the road, he was coming in Sonic's direction. Sonic made himself unseen by going into a nearby shop. He stood inside and watched as Shadow walked right past it without a clue that Sonic was near.

Sonic then came out of the shop and had a look to see if he could spot where Shadow was, he found him and saw where he was headed. "I wonder where he's going?" Sonic said to himself and walked in the direction Shadow had gone. He then began to follow the mysterious hedgehog, keeping a distance from him of course.

Sonic followed him for about ten minutes, he had gotten to the suburbs, where Shadow went into a house, closed the door and that was the last Sonic saw of him. The house was quite small, but fully detached from other houses and in a very quiet area, no wonder he hadn't been found before. It was just a five minute walk from Sonic's house too, which would be a few seconds run for Sonic. "I wonder how long he's been living here." Sonic pondered.

Sonic kept a distance from the house and sitting by a bush, he watched to see if Shadow would come back out again. Hours passed but nothing happened, Sonic was nearly falling asleep when he realised that waiting any longer had no use. "Shadow is alive…" Sonic said to himself quietly. "But that means that the dream I had has more chance of coming true." he added worriedly.

Deciding that he wasn't going to wait any longer to see Shadow and that he definitely didn't want to knock on the door, Sonic realised that it was time to go home.

Meanwhile, Tails was concentrating on a new contraption that he was just putting together with a small screwdriver. Suddenly, the door to his workshop flung open and it slammed against the wall as is swung around. In the doorway was a panicking hedgehog. Sonic was looking terrified while Tails was dropping and breaking his hard work in shock. "Tails! I saw Shadow! He's alive!" Sonic exclaimed frantically, his pupils shrinking and his eyes wide. "He he has a house nearby!" he added.

"You can't worry about it this much Sonic. It was just a dream you had, you can't just trust one dream." Tails sighed while he began to pick up the pieces from the floor. "And if it does happen, you'll get through it… you always get through everything." he reassured him.

"But Tails…" Sonic hissed and gulped. "I… died at the end of that dream." he struggled to say. "I don't want to die." he said worriedly.

"I think you should stay away from Shadow then." Tails said, looking uneasy. "Where were you in your dream, in his house?" he asked.

"No, somewhere completely different… it was dark and I could hardly see but… the place reminded me of the Black Arms." Sonic said anxiously.

"Hmm… it seems to me that an old memory of the Black Arms invasion and nearly getting killed in the Black Comet is bothering you." Tails said.

"I hope you're right Tails. I really do." Sonic said, looking down feeling anxious about his fate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Persistence**

**Chapter 2**

Burning, searing pain, the tormented hedgehog looked up with a slightly blurry eye sight. He could see Shadow again, he also had the look from before, the cruel eyes and sadistic smirk. "Shadow… Shadow please." Sonic choked in pain like before.

Shadow just widened his evil smirk as Sonic looked around the room frantically, taking deep breaths, his eyes darted back and forth from the walls of the room to Shadow. The walls were dark shades of red and black, definitely something to do with the Black Comet or Black Arms. He did this until his sight became blurry again and he could no longer feel anything.

"Not… again." Sonic's voice echoed through his own mind. "Why would Shadow do this?" he asked to himself, struggling to speak through his fear. "I have to talk to him." he said with determination.

The darkness around him faded to white again but then darkened afterwards. His room was lit up like it was the morning before, the sun hadn't risen yet, he had woken up early. The frenzied hedgehog was still breathing heavily, he was shaking in fear. Sonic had woken up in a cold sweat from having the same dream again. The dream must have meant something if he had it twice, so maybe Tails was wrong.

Sonic got up and ran to Tail's workshop, barging into the workplace, he called for his friends but all he got in return was the echoes of his footsteps as he ran around the cold room. There was only the glow of the moonlight making the room light enough to see, it was cold and the floor of rough and hard, the smell of metal and sawdust filling Sonic's snout.

He left the room, closing the room behind him. Still feeling anxious he said to himself, "Shadow, I need to go and see him. In my dream I was definitely somewhere to do with the Black Arms, so the…" he gulped. "… torturing, doesn't happen at Shadow's house." he said to himself in a low voice. "So… I could just go there anyway, there's nothing to worry about!" he exclaimed, a hint of cheer in his voice.

So, Sonic sped off to Shadow's house without a second thought. When he got there he became tense, Shadow's reaction to Sonic's arrival was unpredictable, it could be an angry reaction or an unemotional one, Shadow was hard to figure out.

Sonic walked over to the door slowly feeling deathly nervous, but he still knocked. The hedgehog felt like he needed run as soon as he had knocked. He cursed to himself internally, he hadn't even checked if the lights were on, Shadow could still be in bed and he'd just woken him up. He looked to the windows, all of the lights off, he needed to run.

Before he could, the door opened slowly, Shadow looked to see who was there, as soon as he saw Sonic he slammed the door in the blue hedgehog's face. "Shadow! Open up!" Sonic yelled and banged on the door, louder this time.

The door swung open. "What do you want Faker!" Shadow yelled furiously.

"I uh… got word that you're living here… I haven't seen you in months." Sonic lied and gave a weak smile.

"Hmm… I don't know who you would have heard that from… I've had no contact from anyone since I got here last month." Shadow said with his dark voice.

"So… you've not left your house for a whole month?" Sonic asked smugly.

"No, I've left this place nearly every day Sonic." Shadow spat, getting frustrated.

"Well… someone must have seen you then." Sonic said.

"Hmph… whatever Faker. Just go away." Shadow grumbled and went to close the door. Sonic put his foot in the frame to stop the door from closing. Shadow eyed Sonic seriously, looking at the blue hedgehog's foot, then his face. "Do you want me to crush it?" he said threateningly.

"Oh, no. I don't want you to close the door on me." Sonic said with attitude, getting annoyed.

"Sonic. Why is it that you want to see me so desperately at Six in the morning." Shadow growled.

"You see… I had this dream-" Sonic started nervously.

"Oh no!" Shadow but in. "You did not just come here to tell me about a nightmare Faker!" he said in frustration.

"Well, kind of-" Sonic started but Shadow went to slam the door on Sonic's foot. "But not exactly!" he exclaimed so Shadow stopped. "Look Shadow, can I come in?" Sonic asked sadly.

"No, go away." Shadow snapped.

"If this were the other way around, I would let you in!" Sonic argued. "This is serious!"

"No Sonic, this isn't serious, you just said it yourself, it's about a stupid dream, therefore it's not serious." Shadow snapped. "Anyway, if you're really that desperate to tell me, you'll say it here." he said callously.

"Fine! I had a dream, you were in it! I think it might mean something!" Sonic exclaimed hysterically.

"That's it! I was in one of your retarded dreams and you've come here to tell me about it!" Shadow yelled, Sonic pulled his foot out from door frame because he knew Shadow would slam the door now.

Sonic stepped back before it was slammed, he then went home feeling rejected. By then, Tails was up and in his workshop, Sonic came in looking sad again. "Sonic, what's wrong, did you have a bad dream again?" Tails asked when he saw Sonic's expression.

"Yeah, but it's worse this time. I went to see Shadow because of it and he rejected me." Sonic sighed, looking down in grief. He stepped forward from the doorway and closed the door. "He hates me Tails, which makes it more possible for this dream to really happen."

"Sonic, it won't happen if you stay away from Shadow." Tails said strongly. "You might be the one to make it happen if you keep turning up at his house uninvited at this time in the morning."

"Yeah, you're right." Sonic sighed, still feeling down. "I don't understand why Shadow hates me so much, we've worked together before, I thought we could be friends."

"Shadow is a strange person, sometimes he wants company, sometimes he doesn't. Although, I think he always wants company, he's just too cold to admit it most of the time." Tails hypothesised.

"Yep. Do you think I should go and see him again tomorrow, if I have that dream again?" Sonic asked optimistically.

"At your own risk." Tails warned, Sonic's ears drooped to the sides of his head but pricked up again as he realised something. He didn't have to be so sad, this wouldn't happen until tomorrow and even then he didn't have to do it, for now he could just enjoy himself. He smiled, walked over to Tails and put his hand on the fox's shoulder. "So, what are you making there?" he asked cheerily.

**I'm always struggling to reach the 2000 words mark, even the 1500 words mark with chapters these days.**

**Lucy Labrador**


	3. Chapter 3

**Persistence **

**Chapter 3**

Sonic felt himself getting thrown to the floor, he looked up to see Shadow, he had no emotion on his face. The heartless hedgehog looked down on Sonic as though he was scum. Sonic felt a sharp pain in his ankle, he looked across at it, there was blood seeping from it. He hissed in pain and began to feel weak at the sight of it. "Shadow-" Sonic began to beg , but Shadow stopped him by grabbing Sonic by the neck and shaking him. Sonic was jolted about mercilessly and smashed to the floor again.

Shadow then took a firm hold of Sonic's wrists and put them in shackles. Sonic's eyes widened as Shadow walked over to a machine that was a few feet away, the shackles were attached to this machine with wires. The callous hedgehog bent down and flicked a switch then walked back to his prisoner.

Then came the burning, searing pain, the tormented hedgehog looked up as his sight began to blur. Seeing Sonic's pain, Shadow made the cruel eyes and sadistic smirk. "Shadow… Shadow please." Sonic begged, harder than last time.

Shadow just widened his evil smirk as Sonic looked around the room frantically, taking deep breaths, his eyes darted back and forth from the small machine to Shadow. The machine looked primitive and the materials it was made of were dark shades of red and black, definitely something to do with the Black Arms. He did this until his sight became too blurry again to see and all feeling left his body.

Sonic entered the black limbo like before. "Shadow… I need to know why you would do this to me… and whether this is really going to happen. I need to know how to stop it. I have to see you and talk you out of this…" Sonic said, his voice beginning with determination and strength, and ending in a soft sigh.

Sonic woke up with a deep breath, as though he had just come up from water, he darted upright from his pillow and looked around the room quickly. Once he had calmed down slightly he banged his fist on the bedside table. "I really need to talk to Shadow." he said in frustration, through gritted teeth. He looked to his window, the sun was just rising. "I should go and see him now." he said to himself and got up, knowing that by the time he had washed and gotten ready, it would be a reasonable time to go and visit him.

Sonic ran over to Shadow's house and banged on the door with both fists desperately, calling for him. Shadow opened the door and looked at Sonic with an annoyed expression. "Why are you here again Sonic?" Shadow asked in a monotone voice, ominously.

"I… had that dream again." Sonic said, with a nervous and weak chuckle, while rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Shadow sighed and pushed the door to close it, rolling his eyes. "No Shadow! I need to talk to you about this!" Sonic yelled, making Shadow stop, looking at the desperate blue hedgehog with a death glare. Sonic was looking at Shadow with pleading eyes.

"Sonic, because you sound and look very sincere I might let you in. before I do, I want to know, is anyone in any danger, is it me or you?" he asked seriously.

"Well me… mostly-" Sonic started but stopped as he saw the door being closed again. It was slammed in his face. "Shadow!" Sonic yelled while banging on the door with both fists. "Why are you so selfish!" he cried out.

"I'm not selfish, I just don't like you!" Shadow called from inside his house. Sonic sighed and turned to leave, his ears drooping to the sides of his head and he began to walk away from Shadow's house.

Sonic turned back slightly to look at Shadow's house when he heard the click of the door, it was opened half way and Shadow was standing, watching him. "Sonic." he said calmly and looked at him with concern. Sonic turned to face him fully. "What happened in that dream?" he asked seriously with concern.

Sonic looked to the floor, feeling his nerves build up inside of him. "Something… really bad." he struggled to say with a tremble in his voice. Shadow gave a frustrated looked again.

"Care to explain?" Shadow said the gritted teeth. Sonic turned away again.

"I don't think I should say, not while you're in this mood." Sonic said irritably and walked away. Shadow gave an audible growl and slammed the door.

Sonic returned to Tails' workshop looked, walking in the same way as the last few days and giving the same expression. Tail's noticed this and alarm bells rang in his head. "Sonic, where have you been?" Tails asked cautiously.

"Just for a run." Sonic lied, making no eye contact with his friend.

"Sonic, where did you go?" Tails asked in a firmer tone.

"To… see Shadow again." Sonic said reluctantly and turned away.

"Sonic! You're going to get yourself seriously hurt!" Tails yelled with worry, still standing by his work table.

"What! You're the one who said that it may not mean anything!" Sonic cried out, his voice going slightly squeaky.

"That was the other day, when you only had it once. And it's just a possibility, a guess, not what I really think is right! I was just trying to calm you down, but the dreams have continued so I don't think that as strongly any more." Tails explained loudly, sounding troubled.

"Yeah, so I have to sort this out with Shadow, so that it doesn't happen!" Sonic yelled back, desperately. "Maybe if I make friends with him, he won't hurt me so much. I think he's starting to warm up to me."

"I really don't know anymore Sonic." Tails said, putting his face in his hands feeling aggravated, no matter what he would say, Sonic would never take his word and do something reckless instead. "I say…" he started and looked at Sonic sadly, "That you do what you think is right… but be careful, I don't want you getting hurt." he said sadly.

Seeing how upset Tails was, Sonic walked over to him and gave him a brotherly hug. "I won't Tails… I promise." Sonic said softly. He looked over Tail's shoulder, his little brother could hear a voice of certainty, but inside Sonic was feeling so nervous and looking it too. He would definitely return to Shadow the next day to catch him in a better mood. He didn't die under the hands of someone who could have been good friends with, he didn't want to die at all.

**I had to waffle at the end their so that this wouldn't so short!**

**Lucy Labrador**


	4. Chapter 4

**Persistence **

**Chapter 4**

Sonic found himself in a large Black Arms room with several doors, there was no sounds of creatures going into his ears, it sounded as though he was under water. He looked around to see all of the doors and Black Doom going through one of them, leaving the area. Sonic gasped, this was getting worse in every dream. He then looked up from the cold harsh floor that he was on to see Shadow, he was also watching Black Doom leave the room, he then looked down to turn to Sonic.

The suffering hedgehog felt a sharp and strong pain in his ankle like in the previous dream, he was bleeding from it also. Shadow bent down and picked Sonic up by the scruff of his neck, holding him up at a height which meant that they were face to face, although Sonic had his back to Shadow as he dangled in the air.

Shadow carried Sonic through one of the large doors in the room, the door that was two gates away from the exit that Black Doom had used. Shadow took Sonic through the corridors at a fast walking speed. He then turned to one of the rooms within the corridor and threw Sonic inside.

This is when Sonic got thrown to the floor, he looked up to see Shadow, he had no emotion on his face. The heartless hedgehog looked down on Sonic as though he was scum. Sonic continued to feel a sharp pain in his ankle, he looked across at it, there was blood seeping from it and it had left a trail a blood through the corridor they had come from. Sonic tried to stay quiet this time, but he had to cry out in pain when Shadow kicked Sonic's leg by accident as he walked across the room. by catching Sonic's leg with the metal on Shadow's shoe, it moved his throbbing ankle too.

Shadow was walking over to the machine in the far side of the room to take something off of it, the shackles. He carried them over to Sonic then took a firm hold of Sonic's wrists and put them in the shackles. Sonic's eyes widened as Shadow walked over to a machine that was a few feet away, the shackles were attached to this machine with wires. The callous hedgehog bent down and flicked a switch then walked back to his prisoner. Sonic knew what was coming,

The horrible, burning, searing pain, the tormented hedgehog looked up at Shadow as his sight started to obscure. Seeing Sonic's pain, Shadow made the cruel eyes and sadistic smirk. "Shadow… why…" Sonic said under his breath.

Sonic was beginning to feel weaker and weary again. His body slowly feeling solid with sensations of pain and agony, to the sensation of painlessness and lack of matter. Sonic had passed into his black empty world again. "No! No! This can't happen! I… have to talk him out of this!" Sonic cried out desperately. "I just have to wake up and get this sorted…. It won't happen…" he shivered. "It won't…" he trembled.

Sonic began to stir in his bed until he came to his senses and sat upright. He got up and walked over to his window and pulled his two curtains open with both hands. He looked outside at his back garden, the sun and blue sky, the green wet grass and gently swaying hedges. It looked like a warm but breezy day. "I'm going to persuade Shadow to feel differently today. It's the only way." Sonic said himself boldly. He left his room to get washed and ready to leave the house.

Once he had freshened up and dressed he went to the front door but something was blocking his way today. "Tails… what's wrong?" Sonic asked when he saw Tails standing in front of the door, facing Sonic.

"You're not going to see Shadow, Sonic." Tails said seriously. "You're going to get yourself killed. You should stay away from him."

"Yesterday, you said that I should do what I think is right." Sonic said, slight anger in his voice. "Besides, since when were you in charge."

"I'm not, but I'm the only one who thinks logically out of the two of us, you keep running off doing stupid things that get you hurt or nearly killed when I suggest that you do the sensible thing and stay home!" Tails yelled.

"Get out of my way Tails. I'm going to see Shadow, it's the only way. If I don't befriend him, he could drag me to the Black Arms place." Sonic said and walked over to him. "I said to you yesterday that I promise I won't get hurt or killed. I promise I'll come home." he said.

Tails still didn't move, Sonic sighed, pushed him out of the way and left the house. "I'll show him that this is the only way." Sonic grumbled to himself.

He walked to Shadow's house and knocked on the door. Shadow opened it wide and held out his arm as though he was welcoming Sonic inside the his house. "I knew you'd be here around this time." Shadow sighed. "Come in." he said, not making eye contact with him.

"Oh, thanks Shadow. I didn't think it'd be this easy to get in." Sonic said and walked in cautiously. Shadow led his visitor into his living room.

"Sonic, sit down here and tell me about your dream, and tell me about it clearly." Shadow said sternly, pointing to his sofa. Sonic sat down nervously while Shadow stood up, looking out of his living room window.

"Well… for four nights in a row now I've been having the same dream but they keep getting longer each time. It's includes me, of course-" Sonic began, Shadow gave a sighed. "… you and the Black Arms." Sonic explained.

At the mention of the Black Arms, Shadow turned his head to look at Sonic. "So… was Black Doom in your dream?" Shadow asked, looking eager to know.

"Yes… but in the dream last night only… and he didn't say anything, we were in this room and he left us." Sonic said, he looked as though he was concentrating intensely, to remember his dream.

"What… room?" Shadow asked reluctantly.

"It looked like it was in the Black Comet." Sonic said nervously. Now Shadow looked nervous.

"I should have listened to you earlier. This is serious Sonic and I think it could mean something too." Shadow said solemnly. "You see… I've have contact with Black Doom lately. He didn't die after the invasion."

Sonic's skin turned pale and his eyes widened. "Do you still have contact with him? Are you on his side!" Sonic asked quickly and desperately.

"I still have contact with him and yes, I'm on his side." Shadow said sounding ashamed of himself. Sonic's jaw dropped. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not like that. I'm not evil, I'm bound to him Sonic, he won't let me go. Because I was made with his blood, he thinks that I belong to him."

"Just leave him then." Sonic yelled.

"I can't. He always knows where I am, what I'm doing. I can read my mind and thoughts whenever he likes. Lately… he's been speaking to me.. Telepathically." Shadow said gravely. "He's planning… another invasion." he sighed.

"Well, we have to stop it!" Sonic cried out, getting up from his seat.

"I'll be on his side." Shadow said darkly. "And I'm warning you Sonic… you even try to stop me and I'll destroy you." Shadow hissed.

"But Shadow… y-you can't! What about Maria, and her promise, and turning good!" Sonic exclaimed, he ran over to Shadow and grabbed his wrist. "What about team work Shadow, and working together! Why are you doing this to us… to the planet!"

"Because I have no choice! This is my only option, join Black Doom or suffer an eternity of pain." Shadow said and turned away sadly."But Shadow that's-" Sonic began to shout."You don't know what he did to me Sonic!" Shadow yelled in Sonic's face. "What he did to me is bad enough to make anyone destroy themselves to make it end…" he breathed. "But I'm immortal so I can't… therefore, I gave in." he said and walked away from Sonic, feeling ashamed.

"Please Shadow… you can't go back to him. Stay here… please!" Sonic begged and tried to grab Shadow again, but the dark hedgehog pulled away. There were a few seconds of silence before Shadow sighed and said,

"I think it's time you left Sonic. No doubt you'll be back tomorrow… but you should just go." Shadow sighed and left the room.

This left Sonic all alone in Shadow's living room. He looked at his bookshelf and walked over to it. "I said out!" he heard Shadow called from outside of the living room. Sonic turned around to face the living room door and darted out of the house.

Sonic ran back home feeling as though his life had been drained from him. He opened his front door, leapt inside and closed the door behind him. He then leant against it looking drained.

Sonic then walked into the kitchen and looked at the clock, it wasn't even 10 o'clock yet, this day would be long and difficult to get through.

**Lucy Labrador**


	5. Chapter 5

**Persistence **

**Chapter 5**

Sonic was in the Black Comet, or what looked like it, the place could have been another piece of Black Arms territory. Sonic didn't know where it was, he could remember going there, he could just remember being there. He ran down the long hallway that he was stood at the end of. Once he got to the opposite end and through the door on that side, he skidded and stopped in his tracks as he saw Shadow.

Sonic managed to run and jump over him but Shadow ran after Sonic anyway, going through another set of doors and corridors, bringing the both of them to the centre of the Black Comet. In this large circular room that he remembered from his last dream.

In the room was Black Doom and Shadow. "How did you get there?" Sonic exclaimed to Shadow, he could have sworn that Shadow was behind him before. Shadow didn't say anything, he just took out his green emerald and chucked it into the air a few times, arrogantly. He had used chaos control to get there sooner than Sonic.

Shadow began to charge at Sonic, Sonic did the same. They both collided with each other, starting combat. Sonic found himself getting kicked in his side, he got thrown a few metres before he hit the floor. Sonic got up again, only to be hit in his ankle with a chaos spear.

Sonic's sight blacked out for a few seconds before he saw the room again, Black Doom was leaving and Shadow was looking malicious. Sonic looked up from the cold harsh floor that he was on as he was injured, to see Shadow, he was also watching Black Doom leave the room, he then looked down to turn to Sonic.

Sonic hissed in pain, the chaos spear fizzled out but still left the wound on his ankle, it bled, leaving a puddle of blood below his foot. Shadow bent down and picked Sonic up by the scruff of his neck, holding him up at a height which meant that they were face to face, although Sonic had his back to Shadow as he dangled in the air.

Shadow carried Sonic through one of the large doors in the room, the door that was two gates away from the exit that Black Doom had used. Shadow took Sonic through the corridors at a fast walking speed. He then turned to one of the rooms within the corridor and threw Sonic inside.

This is when Sonic got thrown to the floor, he looked up to see Shadow, he had no emotion on his face. The heartless hedgehog looked down on Sonic as though he was scum. Sonic continued to feel a sharp pain in his ankle, he looked across at it, there was blood seeping from it and it had left a trail a blood through the corridor they had come from. Sonic tried to stay quiet this time, but he had to cry out in pain when Shadow kicked Sonic's leg by accident as he walked across the room. by catching Sonic's leg with the metal on Shadow's shoe, it moved his throbbing ankle too.

Shadow was walking over to the machine in the far side of the room to take something off of it, the shackles. He carried them over to Sonic then took a firm hold of Sonic's wrists and put them in the shackles. Sonic's eyes widened as Shadow walked over to a machine that was a few feet away, the shackles were attached to this machine with wires. The callous hedgehog bent down and flicked a switch then walked back to his prisoner. Sonic closed his eyes tight and braced himself for the agony that was about to begin.

The tormented hedgehog cried out in pain as the torture began, he wished these dreams would stop, this was all too much for him. "Shadow! Stop this! This isn't you! You wouldn't do this!" Sonic cried out in agony, choking, struggling to get his words out.

Sonic's head began to feel light, he would now experience that awful feeling emptiness and numbness. He looked at Shadow with pleading eyes as he began to black out and enter his world of emptiness and non-existence. "I need to talk Shadow out of this… today… or I'm done for." Sonic echoed.

He began to come to his senses as he was woken up by a strip of light hitting his eye. He squirmed and turned over in his bed until he could take it no more and opened his eyes. Sonic irritably looked at his window, where the light was coming from. He hadn't closed curtains fully the night before and the sunlight was searing through.

He got up and opened the curtains fully, he even opened the window this time too, he was feeling very hot, he needed to cool down and calm himself from the tension of his nightmare.

He ran to the bathroom to have a long cold shower to take his mind off of it, but it was useless, he could wash out his matted, sweaty fur, he could remove his body of all signs of distress but the nightmares would not leave his mind.

Sonic left the house and sped off to Shadows house as fast as he could, he needed to see him immediately to sort this out. This was taking over his life and happening over and over, driving him crazy.

He got to the door and began bang on it, he calmed down and stopped when he saw a not on the door, it was addressed to… him. Sonic ripped it off the door and began to read it.

'_Dear Sonic,_

_I knew you'd come running here again. I've been called to the Black Comet by Black Doom. I told you we'd be starting another invasion. I didn't want to do this but I explained to you last time we spoke, I have no choice. _

_Now, you could come hurrying to the Black Comet, which is soon to be orbiting the Earth, and act like the hero you always are but I advise that you stay away and find shelter. This invasion is going to be worse than the one before because I'm on Black Doom's side this time._

_I'm sorry Sonic, but this is the only way it can be. I really hope that you do the sensible thing and stay away. Do not come and try and defeat me, do not send your friends to stop me. If you do so, a terrible fate with be inevitable, I will do such horrible things to you that you can never imagine._

_Don't say I didn't warn you,_

_Shadow.'_

Sonic gulped and pocketed the letter, he then ran off in the direction of his home. "TAILS!" he called at the top of his voice as he was running there. He barged into the workshop again to see Tails looking miserable, not working as usual, just sitting in the corner doing nothing. "Tails?" Sonic said quietly when he saw him. "What's wrong?"

"I know where you went Sonic… and I know you're going to end up like you always do in your dreams… because you never listen to me." Tails said, tears were falling from his eyes.

"Tails… I'm… sorry. But I have to do this… read this letter." Sonic said and passed the piece of paper to Tails. The fox wiped his eyes and read the letter, his eyes widening more and more as he read it. Once he had finished, he turned to Sonic. "So?" Sonic asked for his opinion.

"Well… I would say we find a safety shelter Sonic… but I know that's not what you want to do. You want to go and try to defeat him, even though you know what will happen in the end." Tails complained.

"I have to try. I'm no coward… and I'll feel really bad if this world gets taken over because I never even attempt to save it!" Sonic exclaimed. "I've just as much chance as dying as I do in any heroic mission."

"No Sonic, you've more chance of dying! You've been warned more than enough times!" Tails yelled and began to cry again. "Get out! If you want to be an idiot and leave me here alone to make yourself feel better and almost certainly get yourself killed, then you do that!" he yelled and pushed Sonic out of his work shop, he slammed the door.

Sonic turned around and knocked on the door, feeling like an idiot, the amount of times he had done this in the past week was unbelievable. "Tails! Let me in!" Sonic yelled desperately.

The door clicked and opened ajar, but no more than that. Sonic could see Tail's eyes shining from tears. "Sonic, are you going to stay?" he asked hopefully.

"I need you to fly me there in the tornado-" Sonic was cut off as the door was slammed in his face. He turned on his heels and left, feeling deathly nervous as he would have to do it alone.

**Lucy Labrador**


	6. Chapter 6

**Persistence**

**Chapter 6**

Sonic arrived at the Black Comet's entrance. All was silent, Sonic felt tense, he knew that when he was to get to Shadow, the inevitable would happen, unless he was able to convince Shadow otherwise. The air was thin, the atmosphere that the Black Arms lived in had a lower proportion on Oxygen than the Earth, a lot less Oxygen than Sonic was used to, which made it harder for him to breathe.

Nonetheless, he knew what he had to do, and he had to do it because otherwise he would be labelled a coward, not by the Earth's population, or his friends, but by himself. Sonic had high expectations for himself and he knew that if he didn't try to stop Shadow and Black Doom that he would never live it down.

Sonic took a few, slow and nervous steps through the hallway that he was at the end of, each one of his steps echoed, he was about to proceed to the next area, this made his heart rate increase, he knew what would happen when he got through the doorway.

The heroic hedgehog could see his adversary standing a few meters in front of him with his arms crossed, standing straight, looking at Sonic with an annoyed and disappointed expression. "I knew you'd show up Sonic, even though I told you not to come here… for your own good." Shadow said, his words started calm but became angry. "But you still came here!" he yelled, now in full anger.

Sonic gave a smirk. "I had to. It's my duty." Sonic said confidently and positively.

"Your duty according to who. You haven't been ordered by anyone to do this. Just drop it or you'll give yourself a horrible fate!" Shadow warned.

"Bring it on Shadow." Sonic said while charging towards him, trying to get past the stubborn hedgehog.

Shadow grabbed Sonic's arm by putting his hand out to catch it as Sonic went past. Shadow effortlessly got hold of Sonic's arm and the speed the blue hedgehog was going at struck him down, he swung to the floor. "It's over Sonic." Shadow growled darkly and produced a chaos spear while Sonic tried to get up from the floor. Sonic's eyes widened when he saw the spear, he rolled over several times swaying himself out of the way of Shadow's spear. Shadow flung it into the exact spot that Sonic's heart would have been in if he hadn't moved. "Last warning Sonic!" Shadow called as Sonic got up from the floor a few metres away.

Sonic took the chance and ran towards the door, taking himself in the direction of the centre of the Black Comet. Shadow sent another chaos spear but it ended up hitting the door after Sonic went through it and it spiralled shut.

The panicked hedgehog ran at a high speed down the hallway of the Black Comet avoiding all laser shots that were sent at him by the Black Arms defences. The centre was near, Sonic knew it, he could feel it. He skidded through the last door to see Black Doom in the huge circular room.

Sonic skidded to a halt to see Shadow standing by Black Doom. "Surprised that I'm here Sonic?" Shadow said arrogantly. "I knew that you were headed here so I used chaos control to get here before you." Shadow teased in a callous tone.

Sonic sighed, it was time to lighten the mood a little, he wanted to make one last joke before he met his possible demise. He knocked his fist on the door frame and walked in cautiously. "I'm sorry to bother you but is there a telephone that I can use in here? My car just broke down outside your house." Sonic said in a fake cowardly voice, he then smirked at Shadow.

"This is no time for jokes Sonic. Now let's get this over with." Shadow said with determination.

"Shadow, you don't have to do this!" Sonic exclaimed, his smirk turning into a worried look, he was trying his best to avoid the fight. "The human race could get destroyed if you invade again!"

"That's the point!" Shadow yelled and began to charge at him again. The stunned hero dodged immediately, the attacks missed but Sonic knew he had been lucky. "Don't make this too easy for me Sonic." Shadow called out angrily.

"I won't." Sonic replied, through gritted teeth and jumped at Shadow with his fists out. Sonic threw three punches, Shadow dodged the first two but wasn't expecting a third so Sonic was able to hit nip him on the nose with a hit. Shadow jumped back,

"Is that all you've got Sonic?" he hissed. "No empty promises!"

"I'm just warming u-" Sonic started but stopped, widened his eyes and gasped, all of a sudden he began to stutter. Shadow stood looking smug, a thin line of smoke raising from his hand, a chaos spear was now lodged in Sonic's ankle.

Not making a sound, Sonic dropped to the floor like a falling domino, his eyes then shut tight and he began to hiss in pain. He took a hold of his ankle and squeezed it tight once the chaos spear had faded. "You're pathetic." Shadow said smugly as he walked over to the disable blue hedgehog, he was now standing over him, looking down in pity.

"Shadow… have mercy." Sonic trembled.

"I warned you Sonic." Shadow said solemnly. "So there will be no mercy."

The Blue hedgehog looked up at his captor with pleading green eyes. "Well done Shadow. You may do as you wish with your new prisoner as we make our way towards Earth." Black Doom said and floated out of the room slowly. Sonic began to tremble as Black Doom left the room.

Shadow yanked Sonic up by the scruff of his neck carried him out of the room and down the corridor on the distant end of the room. "What are you going to do to me?" Sonic asked, there was innocence in his voice. Shadow smirked at Sonic's ignorance. "Look Shadow, you don't have to do this." Sonic said desperately, he knew what Shadow was going to do.

"Yes Sonic, I _do _have to do this, you've trespassed on Black Arms territory so you're my prisoner now." Shadow said angrily.

"You could let me go." Sonic said, cheerfulness and joking in his voice. Hearing the tone of voice that Sonic was so reluctant to stop using, Shadow became frustrated.

"Stop this Sonic, everything is a joke to you!" Shadow yelled.

"I'm sorry if I can't take everything seriously Shadow." Sonic said solemnly, as he hung from Shadow's grip, Shadow was still carrying the helpless hedgehog down the corridor. Drops of blood splattered on the floor from Sonic's ankle, every few seconds, the red liquid staining the floor.

"Black Doom won't be happy about this mess." Shadow sneered, looking back at the drops on the floor as he walked on. He then took a right turn then brought Sonic into a small room. In the small room was nothing but the machine that Sonic had seen in his dreams, he gulped as he saw the contraption and the shackles attached to it. His heart sunk, this was happening.

"Shadow, I beg you, don't do this to me. Please!" Sonic cried out as he was put into the chains.

"You don't even know what this is." Shadow hissed as he put the last constraint onto Sonic's damaged ankle. Sonic shut his eyes tight.

"I mean it Shadow, this doesn't have to happen! Just let me go home and I won't return!" Sonic pleaded. He then heard the flick of the switch then let out a prolonged yell of terror as he knew he was going to meet his horrible destiny.

Then the pain began, the agony. Burning, searing pain! Sonic cried out as he couldn't take it. "Maybe this will teach you a lesson." Shadow hissed viciously. "The machine you're attached to a chaos energy transport machine. It can remove and replace chaos energy. I've set it to do both, one after the other, over and over again. Right now all of the chaos energy in your body is getting fully removed and replaced about 100 times a second." Shadow explained sinisterly.

Sonic began to sweat and shiver, just the thought of it made him feel sick. "This form of torture was used on me when I disobeyed Black Doom at first… when I thought id defeated him." he said solemnly. "Therefore I know exactly how it feels, so don't you try to exaggerate the amount of pain your in just so I can reduce it!" Shadow hissed.

"Damn you Shadow! You don't understand!" Sonic exclaimed.

"Hmph… and right now I think you're completely over reacting." Shadow smirked.

"You… bastard." Sonic hissed. "After what's I've done for you, I treated you with respect, I offered you friendship and you do this to me… after I plead for mercy!" Sonic hissed back at him.

"That's how I work Sonic. I don't want to be friends, or allies, I don't want your help… I want to fight you, teach you a lesson." he said coldly.

"Teach me what lesson!" Sonic asked in frustration.

"Not to mess with the Black Arms, no correction, not to mess with me or anyone I've sided with." Shadow said darkly, looking down on Sonic as if he were scum.

Sonic's eyes began to feel heavy and his muscles started to relax, his body ached, Sonic couldn't take it anymore. He sighed to himself, he was so glad that he wasn't dead, Shadow had stopped before it killed him, he was safe. "Hmm, I think you've learnt your lesson." Shadow said and turned the machine off.

Sonic's breaths were slow and deep, his eyes were half closed, Shadow unclipped the shackles to free Sonic but the blue hedgehog stayed on the floor. "Get up!" Shadow commanded, Sonic just groaned in return. "I said get up!" Shadow said louder.

Then Black Doom came into the room. "So, what have you done with the rodent." he said as he floated inside.

"I used the same torture method as you used on me because I know how painful it is. I thought it was fitting." Shadow said with a smirk.

"You do realise that you can only use that machine on immortal beings like you… this will most likely kill him." Black Doom said.

Shadow's eyes widened. "N-no!" Shadow exclaimed and fell down to his knees so he could tend to Sonic. "Sonic, are you okay!" he asked frantically.

"I feel… cold… alone… in pain." Sonic rasped.

"Sonic, I'm sorry, please don't die." Shadow exclaimed.

"Die? But I don't want to die." Sonic rasped, he felt a stinging in his eyes, he shut them tight to stop the tears from escaping.

"You don't know how sorry I am." Shadow said, also getting tears in his eyes. "I didn't want to cause your death… I was hoping you would plead for me to stop… and join me in return." Shadow said urgently.

"Shadow." Sonic rasped and coughed out. "I want to live… why did you do this to me?" the tears began to steam from his green eyes.

"I just explained it all to you." Shadow said desperately and began to lift himself up from off the ground.

"Don't leave me!" Sonic exclaimed and grabbed a hold of Shadow's arm to pull him back down again. "I said that I was in danger… that I needed you to stay and not go to Black Doom." Sonic groaned.

"Yes… and I should have listened." Shadow said distraughtly. "I'm sorry Sonic…" he breathed, as the need to cry got caught in his throat. He put out his arms and held Sonic tightly, embracing him as the blue one's cheeks became soaked with his own tears. While in Shadow's arms, Sonic took in his last breath which was deep, slow and ragged, his eyes then closed slowly and his body became limp, his head hung to the side.

Shadow dropped Sonic's body, got up and turned away from him. He looked up to Black Doom with teary eyes. "Don't fret, Shadow. He was nothing." Black Doom said callously.

"There has to be a way to bring him back." Shadow said with his teeth and fists clenched.

"There isn't any way that you can bring him back, that is just fantasy, it is impossible." Black Doom criticised Shadow's hope. "You cannot be that emotionally attached to that rodent."

"Y-you're right…" he trembled, ignoring Black Doom's last comment. "I'm sorry Sonic… I'm going to miss you… and your persistence." Shadow said in a monotone voice and left the room and his friend's lifeless body behind.

**Please leave a review, I want to know what you thought of the ending and whether I did the right thing.**

**Lucy Labrador**


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